As cool as all that is, the demand will always be there for a more traditional Frank Castle – not to mention the purists among you who probably scoffed at some of the stuff we just mentioned. Either way, one of comics’ greatest anti-heroes will soon be among those to get a relaunch as part of the publisher’s Fresh Start initiative this summer.

Set to be written by Matthew Rosenberg and drawn by Riccardo Burchielli, the new ongoing will take Frank back to basics, with the book’s scribe having this to say in a recent discussion with Marvel.com:

“We’re going to get back to Frank Castle with a handgun and a knife, stalking the streets of New York, and getting his hands dirty. But we’re also going to see a man who has changed from his time in the armor. He developed a taste for bigger game and larger targets, and he’s not going to give that up easily. So in a sense it’s back to basics — but on a bigger scale.”

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While we’re waiting on the tally that may reveal whether or not this character can lay claim to the most relaunches in history, I must say that what’s on Rosenberg’s agenda does indeed sound satisfying. Plus, he promises “that issue #1 has some of the biggest bad guys in the Marvel Universe pop in,” so it should be intriguing to see who Castle deals with, and how.